THE PANDA STORY

Panda Express proudly celebrates 30 years of inspiring lives

The Panda story began when Andrew Cherng, a young man from the picturesque Yangzhou region of China, came to the United States to pursue his American dream. With little money but a lot of heart, Andrew and his father Master Chef Ming-Tsai Cherng started the first Panda Inn restaurant in Pasadena, Calif. The fine dining restaurant introduced the robust flavors of Mandarin and Szechuan cuisine to Southern California and became the inspiration and standard for the Panda Express restaurants that are loved across the world today. With the help and support of his wife Peggy, Andrew knew that quality meals made with fresh and premium ingredients served fast and hot would win over the hearts and stomachs of hungry guests. Today, Andrew and Peggy's vision and passion continue to guide the growth of Panda Express across the United States and abroad.

1973

Andrew Cherng opens the first Panda Inn in Pasadena, Calif., with his father, Master Chef Ming-Tsai Cherng. Panda Inn was one of the first restaurants to introduce the robust flavors of Mandarin and Szechuan cuisine to Southern California.

1983

After the success of Panda Inn, Andrew Cherng opens the first Panda Express. The restaurant is located in the Glendale Galleria in California, and the new concept is a pioneer in the quick-service Chinese food market and quickly becomes the Chinese food of choice for consumers and developers.

1987

Panda Express expanded operations, opening its first location outside of California in the Ala Moana Shopping Center in Honolulu.

1988

Panda Express is the first quick-service to open in a supermarket with its Vons/Pavilions location in Arcadia, Calif.

1991

Panda Express opens its first street location in Long Beach, Calif.

1992

The first Hibachi-San Japanese Grill opens in the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minn.

1993

Panda Express celebrates its 10-year mark with its 100th restaurant opening. Also, the first Panda Express university location opens at UCLA, and the company opens its first free-standing location in Barstow, Calif.

1999

2001

Panda Express celebrates diversity by entering their "Bringing Cultures Together" float in the Tournament of Roses Parade. It is the parade's longest float, and captures the Tournament Special Trophy for exceptional merit in multiple classifications.

2002

Panda Express celebrates its 500th opening in San Diego.

2005

Andrew and Peggy Cherng are inducted into the California Restaurant Association's Hall of Fame.

2006

Panda Express opens its 888th restaurant in Sacramento, Calif. Eight is considered the luckiest number in Chinese culture, so this opening is particularly exciting.

2007

Panda Express opens its 1,000th location in Pasadena, Calif., and achieves $1 billion in revenue for the first time. Panda Restaurant Group was ranked No. 1 by QSR Magazine in the Asian quick-service category in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007.

2008

As it celebrates its 25th anniversary, Panda Express gives some competition to its top-selling dish, Orange Chicken, by launching a new entree — Beijing Beef™— which quickly proved itself as one of Panda's top-selling dishes.

2009

The Wok Smart™ system is debuted to highlight healthier eating options at Panda Express. There are more than 15 Wok Smart™ items, which are 250 calories or less.

2010

Honey Walnut Shrimp launches in March garnering huge success. The premium entrée, made with fresh tempura shrimp, wok-tossed in Panda's signature gourmet honey sauce and topped with glazed walnuts receive the prestigious MenuMasters Award for Best New Menu Item of the year.

2011

Panda opens its first international location in Mexico City and continues to grow with 1,747 restaurants in 43 states.

2012

Panda Express introduced its Bright and Fresh design concept, which boast bold color accents, natural materials and integrated landscaping. The next generation of Panda stores will reflect the Bright and Fresh style.

2013

Panda Express proudly celebrates 30 years of inspiring lives, highlighted by 23,000 associates, over 1600 stores in 47 States and abroad.

Please Select Your Preferences Below

24,000 Panda Associates living one common mission: “Deliver exceptional Asian dining
experiences by building an organization where people are inspired to better their
lives.”

People – Guests and Associates alike – are the foundation of our business. Panda
is committed to exceeding guest expectations by remaining dedicated to the development
and growth of all our Associates. Great Associates result in exceptionally happy
guests.

Known as the "Panda Way," our company culture places special emphasis on encouraging
our Associates to focus on a healthy lifestyle, continuous learning, developing
others and acknowledging others. We believe that this, coupled with our five fundamental
values – proactive, respect/win-win, growth, great operations and giving –
provides our Associates with an environment where they can both inspire and be inspired.

Panda Restaurant Group includes the original Panda Inn concept, our full service
restaurants; Panda Express, our Gourmet Chinese food served in a fast casual environment;
and Hibachi-San, our Japanese grill mall-based restaurants. The family owned and
operated company is still run by founders Andrew and Peggy Cherng. With annual sales
of more than $1.5 billion, we continue to add more than 100 new units annually.

Panda offers excellent benefits and rewarding opportunities, from entry-level positions
to management. We have restaurant positions available nationwide and support center
positions available in the Los Angeles area. Join our growing team with more than
1,650 locations across North America.

Panda Mission: “Deliver exceptional Asian dining experiences by building
an organization where people are inspired to better their lives.” To achieve our
mission, our actions are guided by five values.
Proactive: We identify opportunities for growth and lead others to create
the future we envision.Respect / Win-Win: We treat each other with respect and seek “win-win” relationships
with guests, business partners and our communities.Growth: For Panda to grow, we must each learn and grow. We are humble and
open to new ideas as our world is constantly changing.Great Operations: Great operations are Panda’s competitive advantage, both
in our restaurants and support center.
Giving: We give our time and resources to support one another and our communities.

Due to an industry-wide shortage of eggs, we are unable to source a consistent and safe supply that meets the volume and standards our restaurants need.

Is the high cost of eggs the reason for the removal of eggs from the fried rice?

Egg prices have increased for those who are able to purchase them. Regardless of price, we are unable to source a consistent and safe supply that meets the volume and standards our restaurants need.

Why is there corn in the fried rice?

After testing many recipes, our chefs found that guests prefer the new recipe with sweet corn.

Why can’t eggs be removed from the fried rice and not substituted with corn?

Based on our cooking methods, the addition of corn is necessary to assure the consistency of our fried rice. After testing many recipes, our chefs found that guests prefer the new recipe with sweet corn.

When will the original fried rice return?

We currently have no time table but are monitoring the situation closely. We are preparing for there to be no eggs for 18 to 24 months.

Which of your menu items are vegetarian?

We do not offer vegetarian dishes. Our food is prepared and cooked in the same area where meat is prepared.

I am looking for healthier choices – what can you suggest?

Look for the Panda Wok Smart™ symbol to find dishes with 300 calories or less and at least 8g of protein. We pack these choices with fresh cut veggies and bold Asian flavors. Eating smart can still be delicious!

Are you hiring?

Panda is always looking for great people to join our team. Please visit our career page for available positions and to learn more about the exciting benefits we offer our employees.

How can I check my gift card balance?

Check your balance online or call the phone number listed on the back of the gift card.

Panda Express does not add MSG to any of our entrees or sides and we do not purchase products from suppliers who add MSG. However, glutamate is found naturally in some ingredients. Please visit our Nutritional Information page for more information.

Which of your menu items are gluten-free?

We do not have any gluten-free items at this time.

What if I have food allergies?

Panda Express dishes may contain food allergens such as peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, fish, shellfish, milk, soy and wheat. If you have special dietary needs, experience food allergies or sensitivities or just need more details about our products, please contact our Guest Relations Department at 800-877-8988.

FUNDRAISERS

Let Panda Express help you raise money for your school, organization, club, team or other non-profit organization. Invite your friends and family to dine-in or take-out at Panda Express and we will donate 20% of the event sales.

Panda Cares

Panda is committed to giving our time and resources to support one another and our communities. Established in 1999, Panda Cares promotes our spirit of giving by serving the health and education needs of underserved children. More than $28.8 million has been raised for charities and causes in the United States and internationally.

COMMUNITY OUTREACH

Venues

Panda is Growing

Panda Express has
1,747
restaurants throughout the United States and Puerto Rico and is America's fastest
growing Chinese restaurant concept.

Venues: Our teams of award-winning designers and architects give
Panda Express its unique, fun and progressive look. See our different venue types
to the right.

Growing Fast: Panda is aggressively seeking new locations. Click
here for our site
criteria. If you are a developer, real estate broker or landlord and would like
to submit a site for consideration, please email
RestaurantDevelopment@PandaRG.com

No Franchise Stores: The Panda Restaurant Group operates all of
our restaurants. We do not offer franchises at this time

Design

The Panda Express experience starts as soon as our Guests lay eyes on our building.
Our store design elicits warmth, comfort, and cleanliness that is reinforced once
inside with our carefully chosen cultural cues and hand-selected surface materials.
Creating a meaningful and fantastic ambiance for our Guests is top priority and
our design process is one of many details we put into our goal of being loved by
our Guests.

Street/Drive-Thru

These core venues are highly visible and provide convenience for our Guests. Our
expertise in ground-up development allows us the flexibility to take on ground leases
and purchase opportunities and transform them into stand-alone street stores with
or without a drive-thru.

End-Cap

Flexibility and creativity allows us to build quality and inviting Panda Express
locations in many different developments. End-cap and in-line spaces give us options
to be in areas with limited street location availability. Our in-house designers
are well versed in building iconic Panda Express’ in these locations without compromising
our unique and distinctive look.

Mall

Our first mall location opened in 1983 and with
1,747
locations, mall venues continue to be a successful part of our portfolio. Understanding
the needs and special requirements for mall locations is our expertise. Without
compromising our brand identity, we work closely with our mall partners to create
a space that fits the needs of the venue while giving Guests the Panda experience
that they have come to love and trust.

Non-Traditional

Panda Express’ non-traditional venues include locations on universities campuses,
sports stadiums, airports, casinos and other creative spaces. Adapting to these
special venues requires creativity, vision and great partnership with our host.
We are committed to work hand-in-hand with our partners to ensure the success of
our store beyond the construction phase.